Yes, 17-year-old Carter Wilson asked fast-food chain Wendy’s how many retweets would win him a year’s supply of chicken nuggets. While he didn’t reach his 18 million-retweet target, he probably wasn’t prepared for the reception he got.

And the Third Most Popular?

So What Does It Take To Make a Tweet Take Off Like This?

If it were possible to define the recipe for a viral tweet, we’d all be writing viral tweets! Nobody can really predict what’s going to strike a chord on Twitter. Even so, there are a few lessons to learn from these three immensely popular tweets.

1) Reach Out to Influencers

Carter didn’t get to where he is today by himself. His tweet truly took off when a number of brands, celebrities and other influencers got behind his efforts. Amazon, Microsoft, Hollister, Aaron Paul, Google – they all did their bit!

Think about the influencers in your industry, and beyond. What sort of content would inspire them to help boost your message?

2) Use Images

Carter kindly included a screenshot of his exchange with Wendy’s in his phenomenal tweet. It’s not the most interesting of images, but it perfectly illustrates what’s going on and what he needs. This meant that he was free to make his tweet as simple as possible. Two sentences. Eight words. All capitals. Irresistible!

Ellen’s tweet was perhaps destined to go viral with an image like that. People like celebrities, after all.